With Halloween in the rear-view mirror and the holiday season right around the corner, the sugar temptations are in full force. The leftover candy bowls at home and at the office are surely calling your name. Couple this with the enormous amount of holiday cookies that are about to invade and we have a serious sugar epidemic on our hands! Thankfully, there are ways to help fight these sugar cravings. But let’s first look at why our bodies seem to cry out for sweets in the first place.
Sugar makes you feel good. It’s that simple. Sugar releases serotonin which helps your brain achieve a bit of a natural high. Sugar also acts a catalyst to release endorphins that further relax you. And let’s not forget that sugar also happens to absolutely delicious!
We know all too well that this “high” is extremely short lived. You are bound to crash and feel even lower than before. So the easy fix is to get more sugar, right!? Wrong. Here are 5 ways to avoid the temptation and stay on a healthy track this holiday season.
1. Keep Fruit Close By
Fruit is the number one way to combat your cravings for sweets. With fruit, you get natural sweetness combined with essential fiber, nutrients, and anti-oxidants. The key here is to make sure you always have some fruit handy. Make sure candy and treats are far from reach and replace them with nature’s candy instead!
2. Run Away From Your Cravings
Seriously. When you feel the need for a donut or candy, get up and change the scenery! Walk around the block or the office to get your mind off the craving and onto something else. The common thought of eating just because you’re bored is not a myth. Stay active and focused on tasks to keep your mind right and steer clear of temptation.
3. H2Over Sugar
Many times you are sure your body is calling out to you and begging for sugar. The reality is that you may very well be thirsty. Dehydration is often confused with sugar cravings. Like fruit, keep water close-by at all times. This way, you’ll be sure to keep sipping and fight the sugar urge before it even happens.
4. Naturally Raise Your Serotonin
Sugar isn’t the only way to boost your serotonin levels. Healthy lifestyles can raise them too! A strong diet, regular exercise and an effective sleep schedule can all naturally lift you up in the same way sugar does. With increased serotonin in your body, you are much less likely to crave sugar in the first place!
5. Grab Some Sugarless Gum
Sugarless Gum is a great way to combat sugar cravings on two fronts. Its sweet taste can satisfy your sugar desires. Also the act of chewing and generating saliva is a great way to fight hunger.
There are many ways to fight sugar. But it all starts in your head. Make a conscious effort to use these tips to fight your cravings and you are sure to have a much healthier and happier holiday season this year!
By Pat DeRiso
Sources: webmd, body ecology

Nutritionists have had enough. They’re up in arms over the misinformation people are being fed and the healthy choices people are failing to make! These health experts are looking out for us and our wellbeing. It’s certainly in our best interest to take their advice and it’s high-time we start doing so! I’ve compiled a list of 8 things nutritionists want us to stop doing in order to achieve better health and longevity.
1. STOP CUTTING CALORIES – Jennifer Pullman, MA, RDN, LDN
Jennifer Pullman has a problem with many of her clients cutting out calories. The idea that taking in less calories will cause weight loss is true to a point. However, Jennifer states that you will hit a level where your calorie intake is just too low. Your body will adjust to the new reduced amount of calories and actually slip into starvation mode! Make healthier choices on the foods themselves, not the numbers they carry.
2. STOP DETOXING – Monica Reinagel, MD, LDN, CNS
Reinagel has a bone to pick with those claiming they are “detoxing”. She claims the idea that foods and beverages working to clean out the toxins from your body does not have legs to stand on. Instead, she suggests limiting the amount of toxins you put in your body in the first place!
3. STOP STARVING AND THEN BINGEING – Abby Langer, RD
In Abby Langer’s opinion, too many people are skipping breakfast and eating light lunches, only to make up for it by bingeing at night. One of the worst things you can do to your body is starve it during the day and then binge at night. She recommends eating multiple protein-heavy meals and snacks throughout the day to combat the snacking urges and general hunger at night.
4. STOP THE “CLEAN EATING” DIETS – Julie Upton, MS, RD, CSSD and Elizabeth M. Ward, RD
Both Upton and Ward agree that people need to stop using the term “clean” eating and just refer to it as healthy eating. Clean is becoming a buzzword among marketers and they are using it to fool consumers. Clean isn’t a defined term at all in the food world and it can mean anything. Also, they feel as if people who say they eat “clean” may look down on others who they perceive to not be eating clean. In addition, this labeling can make people feel that they may be eating “dirty” if it’s not clean. We need to stop labeling our diets and just make conscious efforts to eat healthier!
5. STOP ASSUMING ALL SMOOTHIES ARE HEALTHY – Marisa Moore, MBA, RDN, LD
Marisa Moore has noticed what she refers to as a “health halo” surrounding smoothies. She feels people assume that by having a smoothie, they’re making a healthy choice. However, many smoothies and fruit juices are loaded with sugar and empty calories. We need to make sure we are reading nutritional value labels and are aware of the ingredients. Only then can you be sure you are actually having a healthy drink.
6. STOP EATING PROCESSED DIET FOOD – Alexis Jospeh, MS RD, LD
Alexis Joseph swears against processed foods, but not just any processed foods. She specifically advises avoiding foods that marketers tout as “fat-free”. These products are actually loaded with chemicals and other unnatural ingredients. Although they are marketed as diet foods, these processed options are absolutely terrible for you. Avoid them at all costs. As Joseph proclaims, “Eat real food!”
7. STOP AVOIDING FRUIT – Dawn Jackson Blatner, RDN, CSSD, LDN
Dawn Blatner does not want to hear that you aren’t eating fruit because of the high sugar content. Not only is this sugar natural, but fruit brings a plethora of other nutritional values along for the ride. Fruit boasts antioxidants, vitamins, fiber and more. There are few ways to get more natural nutrition than from fruit! Blatner suggests two cups or pieces of fruit daily.
8. STOP SKIPPING PROTEIN AT BREAKFAST – Marisa Moore, MBA, RDN, LD
Moore is sick of people that are not only skipping breakfast, but when they do have a morning meal, they avoid protein. Having meat, eggs, yogurt, and nuts can all provide you with protein. It will keep you full for longer and will help you avoid trips to the office vending machine or local coffee shop for snacks.
Take this advice from nutritionists to heart. Avoiding certain foods, being smarter in the grocery store and having the right mind-set are all tools to use in your quest to be a healthier and more fit you.
By Pat DeRiso
Sources: huffingtonpost.com, HuffPost Blog